the ties that bind // joshua rosfield

chapter vii - succumb

warnings - violence

      You were now twenty three years of age the hooded man you had met so many years ago still lingered in your mind every now and then but you could never thinking of him for long something about his being was strange and so familiar. His cadence was so familiar, how he spoke to you was gentle as if he already knew you. But now wasn't time to think about him you were sent to the southern border of Sanbreque to monitor the growing tensions between the Holy Kingdom and Dhalmekia. You sat in your tent scrolls of maps and war strategies sprawled out in front of you on the large wooden table. Your ink pen tapped rhythmically against the tabletop as examined the map in front of you. War time strategies was not an unfamiliar subject to you anymore in fact it seemed like all you had time to think of. "If they attack from here...then..." you mumbled moving the wooden pieces across the map trying to pin point where exactly Dhalmekia would try to to attack.

     "Lady ______! Our scouts have spotted the Dhalmekia army moving in from the eastern front." A knight came rushing in out of breath. You immediately jumped out of your chair grabbing your sword, "It's time then let's deal with them before they get close to the Dominion." You said coldly as you followed the knight out of your tent. "Captain Rodrick give me a run down." You pointed at the Dragoon squad commander who quickly joined your side as you made haste towards your Chocobo. "Milady it's a small army, scouts estimate less than 1,000 but what we found troubling is that they're joined by a few elite Waloeden soldiers." He explained. You nodded, "Mercenaries by chance?" You asked. "Most likely not. But milady they aren't that many we can handle them ourselves allow yourself to—" he began but you quickly cut off him off, "If I sit back unnecessary casualties will occur on our side. I'll deal with them myself swiftly. Send a messenger owl to Dion just to warn him that our enemies may be planning something." You said dismissing the captain.

     Mounting your chocobo a small group of soldiers followed you to make contact with the enemy forces. You made your way to a cliff side that oversaw the valley below and there you stopped a small army moving towards you. "I'll go handle them. The rest of you make sure no stragglers bypass us." You said nonchalantly hopping off your chocobo you unsheathed your sword, the silver blade reflecting the sun's rays. You hated war—you hated killing. It never got easier with time as you found most screamed for their loved ones in their final moments. It always made your shudder to think what Joshua had said before he was killed. So to protect your sanity you blocked off any emotion and avoided looking any of your enemies in the eye. You became a cold husk on the battlefield it was unlike your usual self. Even Dion had remarked how cold you had gotten throughout the years. "Let's get this over with.." you sighed transforming only partially into Leviathan. Your skin turned a glowing pale blue, grey eyes shone brightly, and flowy blue and white fins jutted from out your back. Quickly you glided down to the enemy forces and summoned a large wave quickly knocking the enemies off their feet. As the first solider charged at you, you quickly glided away with ease turning back around to land a devastating slice across their chest. Just don't look at them _________....you reminded yourself.

     It was only after you had slayed a couple of hundred of them did you realize they were all bearers. None of them were proper soldiers it was strange. You looked at their fallen bodies and each one had the familiar brand then you looked at the ones still alive they also were branded. They looked terrified not if you but of someone else. "Please kill us." An elderly bearer spoke. His frail body was had already been nearly taken away over by the curse, in fact all of them were! Then without a warning a glowing dark red and black sliced across the whole of the enemy forces then their bodies dropped blood spraying in the air drenching you in the warm crimson liquid. You were stunned paralyzed in fear, every primal instinct in your body was telling you to run that an apex predator was making its way towards you and you stood no chance but you couldn't move. Your sword held limply in your grasp as you heard booming armored footsteps making their way towards you. Only then did you see him. King Barnabas of Waloed stood before you his body cloaked in black armor his red sword illuminated by his side. I'm going to die here...I can't defeat Odin. I'm not Bahamut. The dread began to fill your thoughts but your face remained stotic.